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RoboDS Public Interface

You can now control my prototype RoboDS bot located in my basement in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Please go to natrium42.xyz/robot. Yes, the robot does have a laser 😛

The setup consists of open RoboDS prototype and DSerial2, 3 cameras, an old computer acting as a camera server and my webhost. One camera is a Canon PowerShot A70 and provides periodic photos uploaded via FTP. Second camera is Logitech webcam, it provides top view video stream to the driver. Third camera is a wireless spy camera attached to the bot itself. It provides first-person view to the driver. The web interface uses AJAX with a PHP back-end to control the bot as well as to control the queue of people. Main concerns were the number of people and security. I cannot host all the people from my home connection, so I can only provide live video stream to the driver. Other people in the queue can see the digicam photos periodically uploaded via FTP. Security was needed so that it wouldn’t be possible to cut in line or view the live video stream or control the bot despite not being in the driver position.

Most of the schematics are available at NaWiki. A hi-def assembly video will be posted soon.

Special thanks to my brother Ivan (Xploder) for Flash code as well as part of the PHP code.

Here is a video of the hardware setup:

28 Responses to “RoboDS Public Interface”

  1. Pete Says:

    Thank you for posting this interface. It’s extremely fun and I hope that the time I have spent on the robot has not messed up your basement in any way :).

  2. Eric Says:

    Awesome work! One of the coolest DS hardware projects ever.

  3. Warcraft Maps Guy Says:

    Awesome! I love the laser on it. :)

    I submitted it to digg… hopefully your turn-taking system will prevent a digg from totally bringing it down:

    http://digg.com/hardware/Control_a_robot_over_the_web_in_real_time_Oh_yeah_it_has_a_LASER

  4. Farthen Says:

    Streaming does not work anymore (not only for me)

    I get an white window and that’s it.
    Would be cool to solve this problem :-)

  5. swimgod Says:

    now there is a ramp and much more stuff!,
    still waiting for the fog :E

  6. nintendobook Says:

    Thats very cool 😉 your are awesome natrium tks for let us control it that was fun ;-D

  7. Go Nintendo » Blog Archive » Meet RoboDS- What are you waiting for? Says:

    […] Watch the video here […]

  8. bingoolle Says:

    What does the DS do? Is it only there for aestetic reasons or is it the brain of the robot otr something?

  9. Meet RoboDS | Nintendo Wii News and Information Says:

    […] Watch the video here […]

  10. RoboDS auf NDSWelt.com - Inoffizielles Nintendo DS Magazin Says:

    […] zu sich nach Hause bestellen. Wer sich die Kontrolle selbst nicht zutraut, kann auch ein Video des Ganzen in Aktion […]

  11. RoboDS at #doesNotUnderstand: Says:

    […] RoboDS est une plateforme ouverte de robotique basée sur la console de jeu portable Nintendo DS. Ce kit robotique est basé sur la carte dserial 2, qui comprend des ports séries et USB 2.0, un détecteur de proximité. Cette carte comprend un micro-controlleur 8051 cadencé à 24Mhz et permet de connecter une Nitendo DS a des capteurs, moteurs, ordinateur, etc … Cette carte est reprogrammable depuis la DS. Vous pouvez consulter une vidéo de démonstration de ce robot. […]

  12. Zenith Says:

    hey nat! congrats man, I saw this on NewScientist’s Tech Blog of all places.. 😀 (redirected to EnGadget)

  13. ... Says:

    I saw this on engadget

  14. Eric Cheng Says:

    The DS-Robot is very like, I want to buy in earily, you can submit the details
    consisting, include software? I want to copy the DS-Robot set in my HOME
    for my control with my baby, THE sale package include PC control software,
    I wait your mail

  15. CN Says:

    allblogged
    http://link.allblog.net/3363122/http://m-yan.net/157

    parkozed
    http://www.parkoz.com/zboard/view.php?id=express_freeboard&page=1&sn1=&divpage=34&sn=off&ss=on&sc=off&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=184790

  16. ArtNumeur » Blog Archive » RoboDS Says:

    […] sa cave avec une caméra video: vous pouvez même la piloter depuis votre nagivateur au travers du RoboDS Public Interface. (d’après un article du blog pasta and vinegar […]

  17. mr_pepino Says:

    Great work!!!!
    I saw a bug… a real bug… it was running around in your basement.
    couldnt catch it with the robot.
    this robot needs a stronger laser to fight insects like cockroaches.
    it would be the first real 3d shooter.
    greetings from münster/germany

  18. Drive like an robot! at Grind That Authority Says:

    […] mir nur noch übrig, euch in eurer Vorstellung viel Spaß mit natriums DS-Roboter zu […]

  19. itscool Says:

    sharks/robots with lazers on their freakin’ heads

  20. Slayer Says:

    Im interressted in buying the kit, but I see on the video you are using a ds lite . Im planning to buy the kit for my old ds (the big grey one), is it compatible ? And a few questions .

    Does the kit have the pre-cable power sources for the wireless camera ?
    Do you provide the server software to be able to control it via network ?

    Thanks and bravo for this stuff its brillant .

  21. RoboCtrl » Blog Archive » RoboDS Prototype Says:

    […] RoboDS Prototype was the first robot to use RoboCtrl. It has the following features: […]

  22. Adam Says:

    Super neat! The diagonal buttons don’t seem to work, though. I punched them many times, but only once did any of them do anything.

    Unfortunately, I somehow managed to get all the toys pushed into corners despite trying to push them into the middle of the “room” 😛

  23. ddragoons Says:

    Wow!! Awesome!!

    Can I have exact name of the spy cam(the one attached to the robot) you’re using?

    I’m interested in making similar robot~

  24. Actual Technology News Blog » RoboDS Public Interface Says:

    […] as a camera server and my webhost. One camera is a Canon PowerShot A70 and provides pe[…]read more | digg […]

  25. natrium42 Says:

    ddragoons, it’s just a wireless spy camera from eBay. They are pretty cheap, but usually pretty short range if used within the house.

  26. RoboDS Public Interface « See the Post Says:

    […] read more | digg story Posted by seethepost Filed in news […]

  27. @__@ Says:

    you can buy that here
    http://www.electrobee.com/robods-p-21.html

  28. uh Says:

    natrium42, recharge the dang battery!

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© 2010 Alexei Karpenko (natrium42)